Computers vexed
Babe's 715th homerun refelects rules changes
NEW YORK (UPI) — It's probably just as well a committee in charge of almost lousing up baseball history now says Babe Ruth officially hit 714 lifetime homeruns and not 715.
Heck, maybe Ruth didn't hit even 714 by modern standards.
For awhile there, the lads were all for giving the Bambino credit for No. 715 by applying modern scoring rules to a game played back in 1918, but that sort of thinking could lead to all sorts of trouble.
Until 1931, late into Ruth's career, there was a provision for certain local ground rules permitting a homerun on a fair ball that bounced into the stands. In 1931, that officially became a two-base hit.
How many did Ruth bounce in en route to his 714?
One researcher swears every one of the Babe's record 60 in 1927 was an authentic blast over a fence or into the seats on the ly.
It's entirely possible Ruth hit all 714 the "regular" way, but hitters were getting bounced-in homers for many years. It's conceivable the mighty Yankee might have been among them.
The 715 "homer" was discovered in a report of a game played on July 8, 1918 when Ruth still was playing for the Boston Red Sox.
Babe hit one into the seats with a man on base in the last of the 10th inning, but under the scoring rules of the day he was credited with only a triple. When the original baserunner crossed the plate with the winning run, the game ended officially. Ruth was credited with three bases, not a homer.
A special committee considered making it homer No. 715, and that would have been a monument to the diligence of researchers compiling an encyclopedia to be published later in professional baseball's current centennial year.
But that sort of thinking—applying modern rules to old achievements—would disrupt so many statistical categories of the so-called good old days that relief computers would have to be called in from the bullpen to get the job done.
Cooler heads prevailed just in time and it's again officially 714.
"That sort of thinking was complete nonsense in the first
Babe Ruth
place," says Seymour Siwoff, a renowned statistician. "And a lot more than homerun totals would be affected by applying modern rules to old records.
KANSAN Sports
The sacrifice fly rule—charging no time at-bat for a hitter who knocked in a run with a fly ball that was caught—was in effect from 1908 until 1931. And in 1926, for that year only, it was allowed for a fly ball that advanced any base runner whether he scored or not.
On books in '54
The rule was reinstated in 1939 for one year only and then knocked off the books for 14 years until it came back, presumably to stay, in 1954.
For the record, Ted Williams was the last man to achieve a .400 batting average with a .406 in 1941 - without benefit of the sacrifice fly rule.
In fact, no batter in this century hit 400 or better in any year that rule was not in effect.
Anyway, the status quo has prevailed and it's probably just as well.
Applying modern methods to old-time records could be a lot more trouble than it's worth.
Major League Scoreboard
Game by Game results
**Game by Game results**
St. Marys, L, 2-1 at San Antonio
Tri-City, L, 9-0 at Edinburgh
Pan American, W, 1-9 at Edinburgh
St. Edwards, W, 8-7 at Austin
Garden City, W, 6-5 at Indianapolis
Oklahoma, W, 3-0 at Norman
Oklaahoma, L, 5-0 at Norman
Oklaahoma, L, 5-0 at Norman
Kansas St., L, 10-0 at Manhattan
Kansas St., W, 12-2 at Manhattan
Nebraska, L, 3-1 at Lawrence
Nebraska, L, 3-1 at Lawrence
Colorado, L, 6-5 at Lawrence
Colorado, L, 10-8 at Lawrence
Colorado, W, 2-1 at Lawrence
Missouri, L, 9-3 at Columbia
Missouri, L, 10-3 at Columbia
Missouri, L, 10-3 at Columbia
Major League Standings By United Press International National League
| | W. | L. | Pct. | GB |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Chicago | 19 | 9 | .679 | -- |
| Pittsburgh | 15 | 11 | .577 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 19 | 11 | .572 | 3 |
| New York | 12 | 14 | .562 | 6 |
| St. Louis | 11 | 15 | .423 | 7 |
| Montreal | 10 | 15 | .400 | 7 |
W. L. Pct. GB
Atlanta 17 9 654
San Francisco 15 11 577 2
Los Angeles 15 11 577 2
Chicago 13 16 448 6½
Cincinnati 11 15 423 6
Houston 18 21 276 10½
**Tuesday's Results**
Chicago 7, Los Angeles 1
Boston 4, Washington 1, night
Phila. 5, Houston 4
San Diego 4, Pitts. 2, night
St. Louis 3, San Fran. 0, night
Montreal 4, Atlanta 3, night
6 KANSAN May 7 1969
Today's Probable Pitchers
KC shocks Detroit in 9th with Taylor's 3-run blast
DETROIT (UPI) Pinch-hitter Bob Taylor's three-run homer off reliever Dick Radatz with two out in the ninth inning climaxed a five-run rally and lifted the Kansas City Royals to a 7-6 triumph over the Detroit Tigers last night.
1-75 p.m.
San Diego (Kirby 2) at Pittsburgh
(Vaale 2-3) 8-05 n.m.
Los Angeles (Osteen 4-1) at Chicago (Jenkins 4-1) 2:30 p.m.
at New York (Gentry 2-1) 8:05 p.m.
Houston (Dierker 2-1) at Philadelph.
American League
Montreal (Wegener 1-1) at Atlanta
(Niekro 4-1) 8:08 p.m.
Houston (Dierker 3-3) at Philadelphia (J. Johnson 2-2) 7.35 p.m.
Cincinnati (Merritt 1-2) at New York (Gentry 2-1) 8:05 p.m.
| | W. | L. | Pct. | GB |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Baltimore | 20 | 9 | .690 | — |
| Boston | 15 | 10 | .600 | 3 |
| Bostonton | 18 | 12 | .571 | 1¾ |
| New York | 12 | 15 | .444 | 7 |
| Detroit | 11 | 14 | .440 | 7 |
| Cleveland | 4 | 14 | .182 | 12¾ |
Taylor, the first batter faced by Radatz, delivered his gamewinning blow after the Royals had scored two runs and knocked out Denny McLain, the 31-game winner of 1968 trying for his fifth victory of this season.
Thursday's Games Only game scheduled
Jerry Adair's forceout and Chuck Harrison's fourth hit of the game drove in the first two runs of the inning after the Royals had filled the bases on a double by Ed Kirkpatrick, a walk and a single.
(Veale 2-3) 8:05 p.m.
(San Francisco (Perry 4-3) at St.
San Francisco (Perry 4-3) at St.
Louis (Briles 1-2) 9 p.m.
W. 1. L. Pct. GB
Minnesota 16 8 .667
Oakland 15 10 .600 11%
Kansas City 14 10 .560 12%
Chicago 9 11 .450 5
California 8 14 .450 5
Seattle 8 14 .333 8
Cleve, 1. Minn, 0. night
Coleman, 2. Minnesota, 0.
Kan, City 7. Detroit, 6. night
Naklarka, New York, 5. night
Wolf, Park 2. Calif, 2. night
Boston 12. Seattle, 2. night
Today's Probable Pitchers
All Times, FEB
(Cuellar 3-2) 8 p.m.
Minnesota (Perry 3-1) at Cleveland
Chicago (Peters 1-4) at Baltimore (Cuellar 3-2) 8 p.m.
Minnesota (Perry 3-1) at Cleveland (Ellsworth 0-1) 7:45 p.m.
Kansas City (Brooker 0-0) at Detroit (Wilson 1-3) or Lolich 2-1), 9-1
Boston (Sleibert 1-3) at Seattle (Barber 1-1) 11 p.m.
New York (Bahnaen 0-5) at California (Messmesser -2) 11 p.m.
inning and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Washington (Moore 2-1) at Oakland (Nash 3-1) 10:30 p.m.
McLain was tagged for a run in the second inning on singles by Joe Foy and Harrison, with Foy stealing second and scoring from there on Harrison's disputed hit as Freehan held the ball at first base.
kayoed Bill Butler with three runs in the fifth inning. Al Kaline's double drove in the first run, Jim Northrup singled in another, and reliever Dave Wickersham wild-pitched in the third.
The Tigers built the lead to 6-2 in the sixth on Don Wert's homer. Jim Price also homered for the Tigers in the second
Lou Piniella homered in the seventh inning for the Royals' second run.
Cincy withdraws
UC Athletic Director George Smith cited economic problems and extreme geographic differences as the main reasons for the school's departure from the conference.
CINCINNATI (UPI) — The University of Cincinnati has announced it is pulling out of the Missouri Valley Conference at the close of the 1969-70 academic year.
6th & Missouri
6th & Missouri
1. a) $a = -1$ b) $b = 3$ c) $c = -4$ d) $d = 5$